Wednesday, November 07, 2012

You're Doing Fine, Oklahoma

The Christian state of Oklahoma has brought justice upon one of its wayward children who, in addition to the racial handicap so frequent on Death Row, may also have been incapable of understanding what was happening to him. His attorneys argued that he was mentally impaired when he committed the killing for which he was condemned, and that his subsequent accommodation at the taxpayers' expense had somehow made his condition worse. For all the country's recent leanings towards socialism, not even the American constitution permits the execution of insane or mentally incompetent people, and a psychiatric examination seven years ago resulted in a stay of execution. A recommendation for clemency was put in by the state's Pardon and Parole Board at about the same time, but what with one thing and another the governor failed to get around to denying it until this year. The execution took place an hour before polls closed in the presidential election, and we must hope for compassion's sake that it brought to the local Republicans a little spiritual comfort, and perhaps some quiet laughter.

In all fairness, it has taken California this long to admit its "three strikes" law that hands out life sentences for stealing a slice of pizza is too severe.

I got yelled at by a parent last week for discussing the difference in what you see on TV and what our real criminal justice system is like in earshot of his kids. Apparently, it is ok to sentence children to adult prison but not ok to warn them of the prospect.

Can we at least teach these rude colonials that 'blue' = 'right' and 'red' = 'left'? It's very confusing that they think that 'blue' = 'right' and 'red' = 'so absolutely batshit that they're coming back at you from the opposite horizon'.